


this is the thing that is

by QueenWithABeeThrone



Series: may we stay lost on our way home [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shop, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, and come to think of it so is theon, happy au because canon is so very depressing, it all started because of this one picture on tumblr, robb is a dork in love, rodrik owns a bookstore, they are both conveniently located across each other, tyrion owns a coffeeshop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-28
Updated: 2012-12-28
Packaged: 2017-11-22 18:08:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/612706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenWithABeeThrone/pseuds/QueenWithABeeThrone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why Robb works at a coffeeshop, and Tyrion Lannister's, no less. Hint: it involves a certain marine biology student going by the name of Greyjoy working at the bookstore just across the street.</p>
            </blockquote>





	this is the thing that is

**Author's Note:**

> So there was this one picture of Alfie Allen and Richard Madden (and also Maisie and Kit and Sophie) at a bookstore (signing books, I believe?), and then that picture sparked off a bunch of ideas, and since I personally believe that all fandoms could benefit from at least one coffeeshop AU, this happened.
> 
> There is more along the way.

It’s Jon’s fault, really, that Robb ends up with a job at Tyrion and Tysha’s coffee shop near the college. No, seriously. If it wasn’t for Jon and his girlfriend Ygritte reintroducing him to Theon Greyjoy in the bookstore just across the shop, he wouldn’t be here right now, brewing coffee like he swore he wouldn’t since high school.

But he is, and if Arya saw him she would laugh and laugh.

She’d laugh even harder if she found out why he’s doing this. (Sansa would appreciate it, though, the romantic. And both Jeynes, too.)

He remembers Theon Greyjoy. He remembers a shy kid who hung out at his house everyday when they were kids, and who went off on tangents about creatures of the sea to impress everybody. He remembers pinky-swearing that they’d be best friends forever and ever and ever, cross my heart, hope to die. He remembers that Theon swam like a pro even when he was a kid, and he remembers crying after the Greyjoys moved.

But he does not remember Theon ever being…well. Flirty. And hot. And arrogant. And hot. And snarky. And also hot.

And also working at a bookstore just across the street from a coffee shop with a convenient spot open for a barista.

“I thought you said you’d never be a barista even if somebody paid you a million bucks,” Loras says when he drops by and sees Robb in a green apron. He even smirks, the bloody bastard.

“Shut up, Tyrell,” he grumbles.

“Yes, do shut up, Tyrell, the man’s in love,” Tyrion chimes in, waddling into the shop, and gods help him, somehow he’s still intimidating even though he’s shorter than Arya. It’s probably a Lannister thing. “The things one will do for love never fails to surprise me.”

Robb bites off the “shut up, Lannister” before he even gets to the first “u”, and settles for burying his head in his hands and groaning.

—

The first time Theon swings by the coffee shop, Robb is on break and taking full advantage of the employee discount. He has a large espresso, cookies from Tysha, and a copy of _Paradise Lost_ open when Theon slides into the seat across him and says, “Heard you were working here now.”

_It’s your fault,_ he wants to say, but instead he takes one very calm (hopefully) sip of his espresso and says, “Loras?”

“Asha,” Theon answers. “She said she heard it from Loras.”

“Gossipy hens,” Robb mutters, then glances at the book Theon’s brought with him and almost chokes. “ _Marine biology_?”

“Sue me, I never grew out of it,” he replies with a shrug.

“It’s fine,” Robb says, “I never grew out of the fantasy genre either.”

“Still? Really? What, do you pick up girls by saying, ‘I put on my robe and wizard hat’ now?”

Robb snorts. “I’m bi, I pick up girls and boys,” he answers. “And I don’t _roleplay_ , I write, and at the moment, I’m writing about Milton. Or at least I should.” He takes a sip again, savoring the bitter taste.

“Why, something up?” Theon leans back, drapes his arm over the seat and flashes him a smile.

Bastard. “It’s a common problem called writer’s block,” Robb shoots back. “If you have any suggestions, do tell me. I’ve got an essay to finish before Stannis Baratheon kills me for not turning it in on time.”

“SparkNotes,” Theon promptly says.

“Anything that hasn’t been done by my classmates at least a hundred times over.”

Theon purses his lips, then says, “Asha did an essay about the same thing once. Where do you live?”

Robb’s heart briefly tries to hammer its way out from his chest, but he quickly calms it down and says, “Nearby. You can come over after I’m done, if you’d like.”

“Why, Stark,” Theon says, grinning, “are you asking me on a study date?”

“To study, yes,” and Robb leans forward to answer that grin with his own, “and the date part is optional. Why, Greyjoy, do you want it to be one?”

“Sounds like fun.”


End file.
